A traditional answering machine serves the important function of being able to record a voice message that can be played back and listened to at a later time. This type of answering machine has been very popular and enjoys a ubiquitous presence in most homes and businesses.
The traditional answering machine, however, is limited in its ability to output a received message in a different medium other than voice. The user has no other option to receive a message in a different medium such as text. Additionally, a user must be present at the answering machine (or another phone accessing the answering machine) in order to retrieve the message. This ties up the users communication equipment and may hinder other types of incoming and outgoing communications. There is also a capacity cost that is incurred within the answering machine and telecommunications network because messages must be stored in the answering machine which depletes available memory and then must be retrieved utilizing phone lines or air spectrum. These capacity costs diminish the potential for other types of communications to occur. Lastly, the user must engage the answering machine to initiate the process of retrieving the message.
Therefore, what is needed is a device that can work in conjunction with various communication devices that will provide the user with various options in which to receive messages over various mediums in a format specified by the user without the user having to engage the device.